One Moment
by miss-blanche
Summary: One moment, and suddenly the world really stops spinning and all that matters is that it's happened before and it's happening again now before you fall from the sky. RL/NT


**A/N So inspiration hit me at the RTA office this morning when I was applying for my license and having a good look at my birth certificate and the logo - BMD - Births, deaths, marriages. That's completely taken away the depth of this piece hasn't it? :D Enjoy anyway.**

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It happens in a moment.

One moment, and suddenly the world really stops spinning. People are rushing past him and everything except what's going on in his head – a sort of bemused inward chuckle at how bloody amazing life can be – pales to complete insignificance. There's a faint whisper in his head that's logical; but it's not enough to make him resurface because for a moment clarity renders him motionless. He feels like everything is happening in slow motion and he can't move fast enough to continue doing what he should be doing – fighting for his life.

He thinks that this might be the end of his life.

Births, marriages and death. The three fundamental events that governments always keep recorded. The three fundamental events that have ever made his world stop spinning. Rendered him motionless. Made everything else pale to insignificance.

She looked beautiful that day. She always looks beautiful to him, but her beauty that day momentarily transported him to a state of complete euphoria. He felt invincible, untouchable, and alive. It didn't matter that he was poor and old and a werewolf. All that mattered was that she had a flush in her cheeks, a radiant smile and the belief that everything really was going to be okay because they loved each other. The thought seemed childish and naïve but for a moment; it was enough.

Their vows passed in a hazy blur. He doesn't even remember what he said; just that there was so much love behind it he could hardly breathe. She still looked breathtaking, stunning, magical… The only adjective that did her any justice at all was indescribable.

They didn't do anything particularly special afterwards; just went back to the three broomsticks and had a long drink. They sat in a long contented silence until she smiled at him radiantly with a nervous giggle and said in a floaty whisper; "We did it."

One moment, and suddenly the world really stopped spinning.

He did a lot of pacing during the labour. Lots and lots of pacing. He was sure that his foot marks had been permanently etched into the floor boards. She was relatively calm about it all; he was a mess. A tired mess that couldn't stop pacing.

He would come over to the bed every now and then and hold her hand, but she would groan too loudly or shudder too violently and her pain would be too much for him to bear, and he'd have to let go and start pacing again.

Everything was going to plan but it felt like eternity had passed. He wasn't sure whether it was the excitement or the worry that made it seem that way. Hours passed in the time of a decade and the only thing that could be heard was her pained sighs and the splashing of water from the face cloth Andromeda was bathing her with.

And then that pained silence broke: A baby cried.

He turned, open mouthed, almost tumbling over his tired sore feet out of shock.

She was crying; she was crying in sheer joy with _their son_ in her arms.

One moment, and suddenly the world really stopped spinning.

Flashes of light whiz past him. He feels like there's music playing and it's reaching a crescendo. He turns his head and as he scans the scene the feeling of clarity puts to rest his bitterness and depression. It's insignificant. Everything is insignificant except the moments where his world has stopped spinning. He's so grateful that he's had three of those moments; those amazing moments that are gone so quickly but leave behind the reason for existence.

Love.

He stops scanning and his eyes rest on her; she looks panicked and she's calling out to him. He feels his lips turn upwards. In his peripheral vision he can see someone pointing a wand but he doesn't care and even if he did he can't move fast enough to do anything about it anyway. Even when it hits he doesn't dare close his eyes because he can see one of the two reasons for his existence and it gives him peace.

It happens in a moment.

One moment… And suddenly the world really stops spinning.


End file.
